Hot top



June 13, 1933. E. L. MESSLER HOT TOP Filed Feb. 27, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet l (f /We N7 ZRM 4 MWQ June 13, 1933. E. L. MESSLER HOT TOP Filed Feb. 27, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented June 13, 1933 UNITED STA ES PAT NT m News. L. MnssLnn, OFPITTSBUBGH, PENNSYLVANIA L,

" nor TOP Application filed February 21, 1930. Seria1No .431,82 8.

, .This inventionrelates-to a hot top'for ingot molds: c

' Problems have always been presented by the manufacturer, shipment and use of large re.-

" 5 fractory hot tops for ingot molds of relatively large size. It has-been a practical ,impossifbility to manufacture large hot tops either by extrusion or pressing asan integral structure, V and even though they might be made exper1- ing, their size and weight combined with their fragility renders shipment" and general handling of such large integral hot tops a commercial impractica'bil-ity. When these large hot tops are madein sect-ions for assem- 1520 out breakage, dueto their angular contour and the inherent fragility of the material..

1 One object of my invention is toprovlde .a sectional structure. for refractory hot tops oflarge size in which allthecorner sections of a.hot-topareinitially formed as an integral structure,-thus'permitting them to be pressed, as in the modified sagger press disclosed in -patent to Austin. L. Moore No. 1,698,603, issuedJanuary 8th, 1929, and to be shipped as an integral structure, thusif'aci-li- 1 tating packing and reducing breakage.

Another object ofthe invention is. to so formthis integral structure constituting" the ,7 corner pieces of an assembledhot top, and the intermediate or side members to be assembled therewith, that when the integral structure is divided to providecorner pieces these corner pieces neatly interlock with the intermediate .or side sections and may be readily bound therewith to provide a hot top of relatively great-size. 7 I

f ,Still another obj ect of the invention is to so construct the end and side members, that the large refractory hot top formed from .them mayha ve its'partsso bound together as to permit the structure as a whole to be carried by acrane for positioning upon the ingot m'old with which it, is associated. I L r In the accompanying drawings FigureI is H an inverted view of the integral pressed strucmentally by the laborious operation of mold,

tureconstituting when dividedlthe corner pieces of the large .hot' top, showing the same partly in elevation and partly in vertical'section; Fig. II- is abottom plan viewthereof; Fig. III is a front elevation to smaller scale of one of the integral orfside pieces of the hot top, and Figs. .IIIa and-III?) are respectively. a side elevation and a toplpl'an view .thereof; Fig. IV is a top planviewof the several hot top portions assembled andready to 5 be formed together-to form a complete. .hot top (made by the assembly of the corner and side pieces) Fig. Visa side elevation of the assembled hot top, showing the same infposition on an ingot mold; Fig. VI is a vertical 3 sectional view through a modified integral pressed structure constituting the corner .members of .the hot top; Fig. VII is a top plan view of a complete hot top constructed with the modified corner members produced "7 by the division ofthe integral pressed structure shown in Fig. VI; and Fig. VIII is a cross sectional view through this complete hot top to still smallerscale, taken on the line VIIIVIII of Fig. VII. J 5

In the drawings the reference numeral designates generally the integral pressed'refractory structure of the form shown in Figs.

I and VII of; the drawings. 5 This structure comprises an integral body member 2, which 30 has integral therewith a seating flange 3 for projection into an ingot mold and a shoul- 'der 4: adjacent the mid section ofthestructure. This refractory corner piece structure is in effect a complete hot top of 'asize smaller 8 than that desired, and assuch may be readily pressed in the modified sagger press above noted. It may also be packed and shipped,

still as'an integral structure.

Extending longitudinally of the structure are four spaced and longitudinally extending slots 5,, to provide interlocking shoulders for connection with the intermediate or side pieces of a complete hot top. Extending inwardly fromthe outer surface of' the struc-' ture, intermediate eachyof the notches 5, is an indentation or groove 6. l/Vh'en the pressed the drawings, has a notch 7 lying at its ends and inwardly of the hot top structure.

As shown in Figs. HM and 1116, each intermediate piece comprises a slab 8 having thereon a shoulder 9 to match with the shoulders 4 of the corner pieces, and is cut away to form flanges 10 arranged to match with the notches 7 of the corner pieces.

When the side and corner pieces have been assembled into a hot top structure they may be bound together by means of a metallic strap 11, the upturned ends 12 of which are interconnected by means of a bolt, or the like, 13. Desirably the strap 11 is provided with eyelets 14:, to facilitate lifting and positioning of the hot top as a whole. It is noted that the strap 11 lies against the continuous shoulder formed by the shoulders 1 on the eornermembers and shoulder pieces 9 on the side members, so that it may not slip upwardly from the hot top. This permits the hot top to be lifted bythe assembling strap 11'. If desired an additional strap (not shown) may be applied in a lower region of the hot top for binding the pieces together adjacent the ingot mold. I

The modified structure shown. in Figs. VI to VIII inclusive of the drawings, is generah ly similar to that shown in the preceding tween the termination 18 of notches 17 and the upper end of the corner-piece structure. This specialized interlocking binds the parts vertically, so that no shoulder is required, and the straps 23 may merely be tightened around the assembled hottop to prevent relative lateral displacement of the pieces.

It is to be understood that the ho'ttop structure described herein is useful with large hot tops which present the problems previously described, and is not at present an economical arrangement with small hot tops, which may be convemently made as integral structures.

.It does solve manufacturing and shipping problems With respect to the large size hot tops, in that it permits the corner pieces to be pressed rather than molded, and in that the corner pieces are, as manufactured, in suitable condition for shipment. Further, the special binding or interlocking of corner and s1de'p1eces permits a hot top structure figures, but is so arranged that the several, .pi'eces constituting the hot top interlock to formed by the assembly of these pieces to be lifted and positioned on an ingot mold.

WVhat I claim is:

1. For use in a multiple-piece hot top assembly, corner pieces for a complete hot top pressed as an integral structure, vertically extending shoulder-forming notches lnset 1n the wall depth of the structure, and vertical- 1y extending lines of weakness in the structure opposed to said notches in the wall of the structure and extending parallel to and intermediate the edges of said notches, whereby breakage of the body along the lines of weakness provides vertically extendlng shoulders in each of the pieces.

2. For use in a multiple-piece hot top as sembly, corner pieces for a complete hot top pressed as an integral structure, vertically extending sh'oulder-forming notches inset in the wall depth of the structure and terminating short of the upper end thereof, and vertically extending lines ofweakness opposed to said notches-in the wall of the structure and extending parallel to and intermediate the edges of said notches, whereby breakage of the wall along'the linesof weakness provides vertically extending shoulders in each of the pieces terminating in horizontally disposed shoulders in the pieces.

3. For use in a multiple-piece hot top assembly, corner pieces for a complete hot top pressed as an integral structure, vertically extending shoulder-forming notches inset-in the body depth of the structure from the interior surface thereof, and lines of weakness formed exteriorly of said structure and-opposed to said notches in the wallof the structure and extending parallel to and intermediate the edges of said notches, whereby breakage of the wall along the lines of weakness provides vertically extending shoulders in each of the pieces lying inwardly with reference to the initial structure. 4. For use in a multiple-piece hot topyassembly, corner pieces for a complete hot top pressed as an integral structure, vertically "extending shoulder-forming notches inset in the wall depth of the structure from the interior surface thereof, two horizontal shoulders inset from the exterior surface of the wall and extending around thestructure to provide seating and lifting ledges in use of the parts, and vertical lines of scoring opposed to'said notches in the wall of the structure and extending parallel to and intermediate the edges of said notches, said lines of weakness in depth including said shoulders and a material portion of the remaining wall depth. I l

5. For use in a multiple-piece hot top assembly, corner pieces .for a complete hot top pressed as an integral structure, vertically extending shoulder-forming notches inset in the body depthof the structure from the interior surface thereof and terminating short prising corner pieces having therein interiorof the upperend thereof, and vertically entending lines of weakness opposed to said notches in the wall of the structure and extending parallel to and intermediate the edges of said notches; whereby breakage ofthe wall 1 I along the lines of weakness provides vertically extending shoulders terminating in horizontally disposed shoulders in each of the pieces lying inwardly with reference to the initial structure.

6. A multiple-piece hot top assembly comprising corner pieces having therein notches extending vertically and terminating short of one end of the piece for interlocking with intermediate pieces in the assembly, and intermediate pieces having along their edges vertically extending flanges terminating short of one end of the piece and interlocking in the assembly with the shoulderson the corner pieces. 7

7. A multiple-piece hot top assembly comly disposed notches extending vertically and terminating short of one endofthe piece for interlocking with intermediate pieces in the assembly, and intermediate pieces having along their edges interiorly disposed and ver;

tically extending flanges terminating short of one end of the piece and interlocking in the assembly'with the shoulders on the corner pieces.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

EUGENE L. MESSLER. 

